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About Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. Sonlight
Curriculum, Ltd. is a Christian, world-focused, mission-oriented curriculum
that is based upon great literature. It uses the philosophy of Ruth Beechick
as a backdrop for their instructor guides and correlates nicely with Charlotte
Mason and Classical educational theories of home education.
This program can be adapted for use with secular families and/or to
teach children of multiple levels using one core. The options, thoroughness,
and planning that Sonlight does for you makes it worth every penny you will
spend.
However, as
you will soon find out, Sonlight is more than just a curriculum. It’s a
family of homeschoolers all over the globe who help and support one another.
The forums offer a great resource to answer any questions you may have. It is
also a place to meet others, pray, laugh, and share about your life. If Sonlight
sounds like the right curriculum for you or you would like more information,
please feel free to email
me, visit the Sonlight
Forums, and I would also highly recommend that you visit this
page --
which is all about the Sonlight experience. Sonlight
Curriculum, Ltd. Sonlight
can be overwhelming and confusing to anyone new to the curriculum but
don't worry -- help is available!! And, once you get used to Sonlight, you
will find it a breeze to comprehend. My first suggestion is to order
the catalog, read
through it; this will help clarify things and has a lot of useful
information. Cores
Not Grade Levels Sonlight was designed so that families with multiple children can study together using one program. Therefore, a Core is not equal to a grade level but can be used with a grade range. Please visit "How To Choose", for more information. Another great article on this topic is "How Can I possibly use a K program with a 2nd grader?"
The chart above shows the Sonlight Level (both name and core number), the age spread that Sonlight recommends and the equivalent grade levels according to my local school district. As you can see -- each level can be used at several different ages/grades.
To
Use Or Not To Use I have never come across a homeschool supplier before who actually lists out the reason why not to use their program but Sonlight does. It is just another example of how much they value their customers and how each one is considered a member of the family. For information on why NOT to use Sonlight or information on why families love using Sonlight, click on the banners below.
More
Great Information I
cannot possible explain all the great things that I have come to love
about Sonlight. Is it the where forums I have unlimited access 24 hours a
day 7 days a week from not only Sonlight Staff but homeschooling families
who have been there done that? (Please note that unless you meet certain
qualifications for free access, there is now a fee to join the forums
although some sections are still free to everyone.) Is it the instructor's
guides that have everything so
carefully planned out for me with notes and more about what I am teaching?
Is it all the great
things
receive along with my order (some for free)? Is it the possibility of a
from Sonlight scholarship for
my child's college education? Is it the online product
samples that I can view? I
would have to say its all of these things and so very much more. If you
want to read even more great articles about Sonlight and the opportunities
it presents for your family, please click
here. If
This Site Helped You...... Please
make sure that you let Sonlight know on your order form when you
registered, that Misty R. in AZ, was the consultant you spoke with. You
can get to the Sonlight website by clicking on any of the banners that you
see on this site or right
here. About
Language Arts Levels.... There seem to always be a ton of questions regarding how to pair up a core with a language arts level -- especially considering that Sonlight recommends that they correspond with one another. Below is the breakdown chart -- this should help answer/clarify things for you.
Sonlight did something great in 2006! They made the readers levels separate in the Core Program. Now you can order any of the first 5 levels of readers to use with your core. Make sure you order the correct LA to go along with the readers. The readers can be used without using the SL LA programs.
Once
you get to Core 3, advance simply means that there are more readers than
with the regular program until advance no longer becomes an option in
the higher Core levels. Advanced 2 LA is a special level that Sonlight
made to help those using the advanced option to even out with Core 3.
This level can be skipped -- it is just for those using the Advanced 2
level. A lot of people use Core PK with LA K. This is a great fit and then sets you up to use the Advance LA track until you hit Core 3. At Core 3, you will need to decide if your child is a book eater or not. Book eaters -- use the advance Core with the extra reading books. Everyone else go with the regular program.
In 2006, Sonlight made a great improvement to their readers! Now you can choose which level of readers you want with your core in the early years. So, if you are using Core K with an older child you can purchase this core with 2 regular readers. Or if your child is a late bloomer you can order core 2 with K readers. Isn't this great!? Also now available is a schedule for the readers which can be purchased separately from the core. Great job SL! : -) Can
I use SL readers without their LA program? Yes,
the readers and advanced readers are scheduled in the Core Instructor
Guides. If you wish to use an LA program other than SL's make sure you
get readers that fit your child's current abilities and then follow the
schedule for your core. In the younger years, you have 2 options for
level of readers. In later cores, only one. It is that simple. Looking
to meet other Sonlighters?
Well
-- now you can!! Simply click on the link below to find people in your
area to meet and plan lots of fun things to do together!! Sonlight
Meetup (Meet up is now charging a $9 monthly
fee per group)
A
FREE alternative would be to search Yahoo! Groups for a Sonlight Group
near you. If there isn't one ... create one. Its easy to do! If you
need help, email me! I have one for Sonlight Families that has been
going on for about 3 years now and it has been a great way to meet
other families in your area!!
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Copyright © 2006 Tuscan Sun Academy
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